


Amused

by Dragonsquill (dragonsquill)



Series: Hobbit ABCs [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, Gen, Pre-Canon, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 09:50:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3891820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonsquill/pseuds/Dragonsquill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the first in a series of prompt responses from my tumblr, one for each letter of the alphabet!<br/>Nori, Amused, prompt from rillils</p>
            </blockquote>





	Amused

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rillaelilz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rillaelilz/gifts).



There were those who claimed Nori had no proper sense of humor, only a biting, arrogant sarcasm well at odds with his family’s perilous social position.

And why not? There was little to be amused about in his life. His mother was dead and his father long gone. His clothes were old and worn, though expertly patched, and his stomach rumbled with hunger more often than not. It was well-known throughout the settlement that Nori lived under the thumb of an overprotective brother working himself to the bone trying to be a parent to a wild dwarf in his fifties and a toddler. And Nori-

Nori had fast fingers and a clever tongue, though no one knew how he lay awake at night, weighing the importance of honor against the importance of food in his brothers’ bellies.

It was no wonder, really, that Nori rarely smiled, except at the end of a cutting remark or after his fist sent someone to his back in the dirt, the flash of his knife at their throat. 

He’d never used his knife to do more than threaten. 

So far.

But those Dwarves who thought Nori never laughed had never seen Nori at home, in the company of his baby brother.

Ori was the most adorable, most amusing thing in the entire world.

“Nowi!” Ori cried the moment Nori appeared in the doorway. Then it was an awkward, waddling race for cuddles, which invariably ended with a toddling faceplant in the cheap carpet Dori had bought third-hand for this very reason.

“For Stone’s sake, Nori,” the eldest brother in question snapped from the kitchen, “catch him or he’ll black his eye again!”

Nori grinned – broad and pleased and without a hint of sarcasm – and dropped gracefully to the floor, holding out his hands to the fallen Ori. “Why?” he asked, because being contrary to Dori always made for a good moment of fun. “He certainly doesn’t mind. Tough as nails, this kid.”

Besides, Nori had been of the opinion that even with a puffy, very faintly blue eye, Ori had still been adorable; like a tiny little badass warrior with straw sticking out of his head where hair should be.

As if to prove Nori’s point, Ori popped up like a tubby red weed, blinking once-twice, and then getting determinedly to his feet. This was a long process, involving pushing first to all fours, then poking his little bum well into the air, followed by a carefully managed wiggle of the bum, and finally a shove back to his fat little feet.

Really, this kid was too cute for public consumption.

“Don’t you worry about old mother hen in there,” Nori whispered as Ori shuffled forward and grabbed his hands in triumph. The kid had a grip like a vice, and Nori winced; it would be his luck to have _two_ brothers with unreasonable amounts of strength. “You’re tough enough to take a spill or two.”

“Nowi hi,” Ori agreed wisely, and grinned to show off his fine new teeth.

Nori laughed and swept Ori into his lap, pressing a whiskery kiss to the ridiculous little face, all soft, round cheeks and big brown eyes. 

There wasn’t much amusement in Nori’s life. Instead he had patched clothes and uncertainty and a growing struggle against one way he knew he could best help his family, but oh, Dori would be so disappointed-

In his ramshackle little home, as Ori began to babble through the events of his day and Dori leaned in their doorway looking tired but happy in their mother’s apron, Nori remembered what it was to laugh.


End file.
